


Giving fear a name

by cruddyart



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, eyoo my first fanfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:48:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27164791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cruddyart/pseuds/cruddyart
Summary: Au where instead of killing himself Gabriel meets his old Friend wearing new skin.
Relationships: Gabriel & Michael Shelley
Comments: 6
Kudos: 23





	Giving fear a name

Ruined! Years upon years of hard work and unstopping devotion were crumbling away before Gabriel's eyes. Pain and sorrow and anger were coursing through him in a way he never had thought possible.  
He had known loss before, it was part of the human experience after all, this was as if he was losing limbs, house… friends. A feast the desolation could gorge itself on he was sure of it.  
The Island which had never existed was becoming nothing once more. Gabriel sat in the snow digging his fingers into the skin of his face, which was more clay than it was flesh.  
He knew he wasn't thinking clearly, not that he had for a long time, but the despair and desire to hurt made him want to tear himself to pieces. Claw out his eyes, rip apart his flesh with his own teeth, feel the nails grab his veins and dissolve into a puddle of wet clay and blood.  
He would have found it poetic in a way, to die here on sannikov land. To go down with his greatest piece of art. 

And yet… something made him halt. 

He felt its presence before he could see it, Gabriel lifted his gaze, it took him a couple moments to recognize what was standing before him or rather who. A door, standing out like a sore thumb against the clear white snow.  
However for Gabriel it was more than that, it was a face. Familiar but wrong somehow, yet if pressed he would not be able to tell what had tipped him off. His friend had taken on many appearances throughout his life but he had always been able to immediately recognize it. 

It is not what it is, it is not what it was. 

For a couple moments he sat there indulging in his bewilderment. Should he knock?  
He didn't have to wonder for long as the door slowly opened on its own accord. Creaking as if it hadn't been used in years.  
In it stood a figure, warped like the reflection in a funhouse mirror. Gabriel's heart dropped, another pain. A dark and heavy sorrow.  
"Oh what have they done to you." he whispered. 

The stranger, The Friend they reached out their long, sharp hand. Palm upwards. Gabriel took it, ignoring the way it cut through his gloves and into his aching skin like it was nothing more than paper.  
The door closed behind them as they walked into the twisting corridors.  
\---

Michael, he had learned his name was Michael.  
The name felt wrong in his mouth, it was too soft and didn't fit him. The twisting deceit didn't have a name, sure there were things it was referred to but that was ( if anything) more of a title given to it by others, so labeling one of its limbs with a name felt wrong. Michael had just shrugged,  
"It's who I have been before but it's not who I am now." he punctuated his sentence with a grin though Gabriel knew that the newly given identity, or was it more a lack of identity?, was a burden for him. Confusing both his friend and the stranger. The worker of clay frowned gently.  
"Did anything change? Aside from your new look that is?"

Michael tilted his head slightly and thought, "Different? Yes I suppose that must be the case...probably." The Visage he wore twisted as he thought.

Was there a point in even asking? Gabriel thought, "No reason to dwell on identity.Forgive me for the inquiry. I know things must be heh weird for you."

"Yes, that certainly is one way to put it." he murmured ,twisting his claws around themself. 

It was mesmerizing to watch. A spiral went and went and it was sometimes hard to tell where it stopped and began but now it had human shaped bounds. And it hurt. To see his friend who had been so, so close to ascension falling so low. Not that Gabriel would ever admit to Michael that he felt a sort of pity. If this was even the right word.  
Gabriel felt many things towards this new yet familiar entity. But what did they feel for him?  
Did they still even want to be his friend after he had failed to complete the ritual? Did the new element hate him as much as he hated them? Was it hate or was it awe and something else… Gabriel clicked his tongue. All these new uncertainties were making him anxious.  
The distortions features softened,  
"Clay is malleable but no matter what statue you make of it, it is still clay." 

Michael gently took Gabriel's small lumpy hand into his own, being mindful not to cut into it even though it wouldn't be as bad had Gabriel still been completely Human. 

"I am still your friend.That did not change" 

Gabriel relaxed but the uncertain feeling did not quite manage to pass. 

He would make it up to him.

**Author's Note:**

> After drawing a couple of Miclay drawings and recieving positive reviews I finally decided to make an ao3 account and post my fanfic here.  
> It's not very long and I have a couple more short ones in the shelves but I gotta see how it works out motivation wise.  
> But ye this is my first posted fanfic ever and I hope you enjoyed it ♥  
> critique is also welcome


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